###### (This is the legacy documentation for SDL2, the previous stable version; [SDL3](https://wiki.libsdl.org/SDL3/) is the current stable version.)
# SDL_CreateSoftwareRenderer

Create a 2D software rendering context for a surface.

## Header File

Defined in [SDL_render.h](https://github.com/libsdl-org/SDL/blob/SDL2/include/SDL_render.h)

## Syntax

```c
SDL_Renderer * SDL_CreateSoftwareRenderer(SDL_Surface * surface);
```

## Function Parameters

|                              |             |                                                                                            |
| ---------------------------- | ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| [SDL_Surface](SDL_Surface) * | **surface** | the [SDL_Surface](SDL_Surface) structure representing the surface where rendering is done. |

## Return Value

([SDL_Renderer](SDL_Renderer) *) Returns a valid rendering context or NULL
if there was an error; call [SDL_GetError](SDL_GetError)() for more
information.

## Remarks

Two other API which can be used to create [SDL_Renderer](SDL_Renderer):
[SDL_CreateRenderer](SDL_CreateRenderer)() and
[SDL_CreateWindowAndRenderer](SDL_CreateWindowAndRenderer)(). These can
_also_ create a software renderer, but they are intended to be used with an
[SDL_Window](SDL_Window) as the final destination and not an
[SDL_Surface](SDL_Surface).

## Version

This function is available since SDL 2.0.0.

## See Also

- [SDL_CreateRenderer](SDL_CreateRenderer)
- [SDL_CreateWindowRenderer](SDL_CreateWindowRenderer)
- [SDL_DestroyRenderer](SDL_DestroyRenderer)

----
[CategoryAPI](CategoryAPI), [CategoryAPIFunction](CategoryAPIFunction), [CategoryRender](CategoryRender)